I wore this outfit a while back while visiting the Harpoon brewery (and downing delicious clam chowder afterwards). I love skinny jeans and ankle boots on the weekends, but often face the issue of not having casual enough outerwear to pair up top. My H&M red peacoat has been worn to near-shreds, so I’ve been eying more short jacket options.

While browsing Gap late last year, I came across a military jacket in sz L that looked like it ran small. The sales associate confirmed that it was a “shrunken fit” style. I really liked the sturdy canvas material, the generous collar, and the traditional design, thus promptly ordered an XS from another store with shipping costs and all. When it arrived, the fit was noticeably big (too long and wide throughout, waistline also too low) but I was sure the 100% cotton would shrink in the dryer. Turns out, it didn’t shrink one bit. I wasn’t eager to blog about this jacket or my overzealousness to throw it into the wash, but have ended up wearing it fairly often despite the fit.
Some of you may remember my review of a slightly similar ASOS option (now over 50% off, and US shoppers can get an extra 15% off w/ code USLONGWEEKEND) which I returned. Although that one definitely fit better, I wanted a higher collar and more rugged canvas material like that of the Gap jacket. Neither are perfect, so I’d love to eventually find a better-fitting replacement (Gap kids, please come out with one again ; ).

This Coach court bag is one of my favorite finds last season. I got to catch up with Ali of BonMe food truck, and immediately noticed her purse. The leather looked of great quality, the style was functional & versatile, and the size suited her 5’ tall frame well. I was even more excited when she mentioned that it was around $40 from eBay. It comes a variety of colors, but I browsed patiently until I found one in navy to meet a longtime wardrobe void. In an upcoming post, I hope to share more about Coach’s older leather bag styles plus a review of this specific one.I realize I keep promising requested posts (fixing the rotating skirt, shopping for Hermes belts, Spanx review) that don’t materialize. Progress has been hindered by work lately, so I really appreciate your patience!

105 comments:

I wanted an army green jacket ever since I saw pictures of Rachel Bilson pairing EVERYTHING with her military coat with fur collar. Apparently hers is a boy's coat from GAP. Inspired by her - I picked up a size 16 boys military jacket from Walmart (I think it's the GEORGE brand) - I'm 5'4 and it fits perfectly! My friend loved my jacket and was amazed when I told her it cost less than $20 - she's under 5' and got the size 14 boys jacket - definitely worth checking out :-)

Yay for the casual outfit! I love hat crossbody bag. I may have to start looking for the same one myself. The style, shape, and minimalist design are perfect for me. I wonder if it comes in burgundy? ahhh!

Love this outfit! Also that's for introducing the coach bag, I've been eyeing similar styled but much more expensive Marc Jacobs bags :)! I too love the material of my GAP military jacket, strangely it was acquired in 2010 in GAP women's section, the material and colour is very and very similar to yours.

Haha, I tried on that jacket. Fiance immediately vetoed and I eventually settled on the asos one. We bought those 2 jackets in reverse order! Anyhoo, I sympathize about the work being front and center lately ;)

This casual look is great, I'm 5'4 and I got the J.Crew downtown field boyfriend jacket, they have it in navy and army green http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/blazers/sale/PRDOVR~19034/19034.jsp. And you can readjust the waist. Hope you find this helpful.

The jacket is cute! I like its casual vibe, as sometimes my car coat looks too dressed up. It reminds me of a barn coat my husband had back when we were dating. That coach bag is really a great deal...we will all be heading to eBay. I've wanted a small cross body bag since I have kids, but haven't kind one I liked.This sounds weird, but I love the smiley pictures you took...nice to see your personality shine through.

Thanks for the heads up on the vintage Coach bags! I've been eyeing that style and would prefer to buy vintage, but didn't realize they could be had for so cheap! Will definitely keep my eye on eBay! ;-)

I love your style and your resourcefulness. This blog has really helped me style my outfits for both work and play - i was very uncoordinated before :). Anyways, Did you happen to be at SFO around dec 23rd? I may have seen you!

I got my first Coach bag for Christmas - i'm just wondering what's the best way to protect it - i have a leather conditioner from coach - but I keep catching my nails on it resulting in tiny scratches? Any thoughts?

The leather of most Coach products is pretty nice and will self-heal. I have a small black clutch that I scratch from time to time. The natural oil from my hands seems to heal any scratches and keep the leather looking very nice.

I think the leather from their current line is a little more prone to scratches than their leather from the past, but if you're conditioning it periodically then I don't think a few fingernail scratches is a big deal. Personally I think it adds to the look of well-aging leather.

Looking adorable in these photos! Love the skinnies with ankle booties and even though the jacket isn't perfect by your standards, I think it looks great in the photos. Great Coach find on ebay. Can't wait to read all about it.

How funny -- I just bought a vintage Coach on ebay last week! I saw a girl on the T with the most gorgeous clean-lined, cross-body leather bag and I recognized the turnlock as Coach. I loved it so much that I immediately went to eBay and found one. I managed to win it for $40 and also noticed on the Coach website that the bag is a "Willis" and is currently selling for $300! Franlkly, I prefer the patina and worn-in look that the actual vintage bags have to Coach's brand-new "vintage" styles.

For others looking for good deals on vintage coach, I've noticed that there are sometimes better deals on bags if you search without the bag name (e.g., Willis or Court).

I found a green jacket much like that from Madewell. It's not a petite, but the XS fit surprisingly like one (ie. the pockets lined up properly, the sleeves were perfect, the belt hits at the right spot.) It was certainly an investment purchase, but I love it and it's much warmer and sturdier than similar jackets that I've seen.

I have a vintage Willis bag in mahogany that I bought through eBay for $60. I'm so pleased with the quality and the size. I had my local leather guy punch in a few extra holes because the strap was too long, but otherwise it's great!

I think it's ok despite the slightly too-large fit since it's a casual piece. The way you styled it, cuffed with layers and skinny jeans, makes it work. I have a similar jacket from American Eagle with similar problems. The sleeve length is what bothers me most, but it's not worth altering. I still wear it quite often when it's chilly but not freezing.

I love this look! I am so jealous of your ankle boots. I've been looking for a similar pair for awhile but I'm stick on a starving college student's budget. The other problem is that I find that my feet seem to scrunch down into the toe of ankle boots and I end up crushing my toes throughout the day! I would love to hear your suggestions on that problem...I've been thinking that inserts may help give me a little more grip on a sharp incline heel, but I'm not sure if I should bother.

I love your casual looks, Jean! And I really love the way the jacket fits you, very casual chic. A friend of mine actually found a similar jacket (albeit very thin material) at Charlotte Russe of all places, LOL. Looking forward to your Coach review. I've been browsing ebay for a while but I'm skeptical about the condition of the interior.

Great casual outfit! I love the vintage Coach bag. I've been eyeing the same one since last year too, and also looked at some on Ebay, but for some reason haven't pulled the plug on it yet. The jacket looks great on you, it doesn't look too oversized.

I personally think it's OK for a cas rugged jacket like that to fit a bit large - you've cultivated the rest of your ensemble so well, I think you look really comfy and chic! Oh I wish I could do ankle boots with skinnies like that!

Hi Claire - I think it's very hard for women with curvier hips & a small waist (or heck, for anyone) to find perfectly fitting pants right off the rack. I'd suggest trying on the curvy cut trousers at Ann Taylor or LOFT in petite and find the pair that fits your hips well, then have a tailor take in the waist.

Absolutely adorable outfit... I had to "run" to Asos and sure enough, I picked up that jacket for $36 and free shipping! Although I'm a bigger petite (5'2" 140 lbs and curvy) I really appreciate so many of the suggestions and ideas from your blog. You have helped me so much! Have a great weekend!

I recently went to an Abercrombie outlet and was reminded how shrunken they make their items so maybe something like this? http://www.abercrombiekids.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10851&storeId=10101&langId=-1&categoryId=12157&parentCategoryId=12157&topCategoryId=12103&productId=1066452&seq=01

Long-time reader, first comment :) I realized the importance of fit only since reading your blog - overdue thanks!!Love the olive jacket + dark/pastel-coloured scarf combo, and jealous of your purchase - I was eyeing vintage Coach on eBay as well, but have yet to find the cross-body at the right bidding price. Still looking!

Love this look Jean! Please please please publish a review of that bag! I have been contemplating ordering one off ebay for quite a while, but havent pulled the trigger yet and I would love to know your thoughts.

where did you get your watch from? i think this is one of my favorite outfits by you! lovely blend of textures and a perfect balance of casual + chic. even if the jacket isn't perfectly fitted, i think it looks great on you!

I actually really like that jacket on you. You make it look like it fits decently with layers underneath, but I understand how frustrating it is when you're looking for something fitted and the market just doesn't cater to what you want.

I'm new to your blog and love it! I was wondering whether you have any suggestions for dress pants for work? Express Editors used to be my go-tos, but now it seems like they bunch up in the crotch area? I'm 5'1'' and 110 lbs. Thanks so much!!!

Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck in the dress pant arena. Every brand I try has some issue here or there. You can try basic Banana Republic during their 40% off sales, or LOFT's many cuts in petite sizing.

I like your outfit too... I got a similar jacket from JCrew ...I think it was sale or Factory. It came in green and black but I no longer see it on the web site. There is a new full price similar one for $168.... about 4x what mine was. Can't remember if their xxs is OK for you or not and I think that mine came in numerical sizes...it is about 2 yrs old.

perfect! I love this hole ensemble. the military jacket, the scarf, the boots! (tired of seeing pumps with no socks in the snow!) and I love the vintage bag of course looking forward to your next post/ I do not have many other suggestions for petite military jackets (what do petite people actually do for clothes in the real military?) apart from the usual suspects, ZARA and TOP SHOP both do good petite military styles every season. YVES SALOMON ARMY also has smallish sizes thugh they tend to be lined in real fur and cost an arm and a leg....

Thanks for the heads up on the coach court bag. I've been on the look out for a decently sized crossbody to take while vacationing abroad. This is perfect and scoring it off ebay for less than $100 is even better!

I was inspired by you and got a court bag on ebay. I'm 4'10" and am having an issue with the bag being too long and it's on the shortest buckle hole. Did you have this problem too? (I just ordered a belt hole puncher to remedy the issue).

Coach looks like they're bringing back their classics! I was so excited until I saw the prices. Haha! So I'm excited for your review and tips for shopping for second hand ones! YEY for saving! (= Definitely will be looking forward to that and hopefully, I can find one around an affordable price point like you did!

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